Travel back in time for an awe-inspiring look at Japan’s exquisitely crafted samurai armor. Coming to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller collection—one of the largest and finest collections in the world—the assembled works offer a glimpse of samurai history with a focus on ceremonial adornments created within the flourishing artistic culture of the Edo period.

Offering a rare personal encounter with these stunning works of art, the exhibition of more than 140 objects features full suits of armor and an array of weapons, helmets, masks, horse accessories, woodblock prints, and textiles. As a worldwide fascination with and reverence for samurai warriors persists today, VMFA’s immersive exhibition delves into the storied world of this elite military class, tracing the evolution and artistic legacy of its famed armor.

The Ann & Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Museum, Dallas, organizes this exhibition.